SAN FRANCISCO — Highlighting the second day of the Battle in the Bay Classic, two Pepperdine women's tennis players picked up victories in the main singles draw on Friday.
Sophomore Vivian Yang opened singles play by beating USC's Imogen Haddad in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, for her tenth-straight singles win and her second of the season. In the quarterfinals, Yang took on multi-time All-American #5 Ange Oby Kajuru — Yang's highest-ranked collegiate opponent to date — and fell in straight sets, 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Elsewhere in the main draw, Liam Oved picked up her first victory over a ranked singles opponent with a straight-set win over #106 Sofia Rojas of Georgia. Both sets of Oved's match required breakers: Oved won the first set 7-6 (10) and the second set 7-6 (3).
In doubles, Oved and Duru Söke fell 8-3 to Oklahoma State's top-ranked team of Kajuru and Komar. Over in the consolation bracket, Yang and Taylor Goetz beat Portland's Sally Pethybridge and Alaia Rubio Perez 8-5 in a battle of West Coast Conference teams. Goetz and Yang will take on Colorado's Aya El Sayed and Mila Stanojevic in the consolation semifinals tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Over in the consolation bracket, Duru Söke and Taylor Goetz won their first career singles matches. Söke beat Oklahoma State's Gracie Epps 6-4, 6-2, setting up a match against Stanford's #77 Valencia Xu — her first against a ranked singles opponent. Goetz notched the first singles win of her collegiate career with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Virginia Tech senior Semra Aksu.
Play will continue throughout the weekend, starting with Goetz and Yang's consolation doubles semifinal match at 9 a.m. Goetz and Söke kick off consolation singles action at 11:30 a.m.
RESULTS
Doubles Quarterfinals
#1 Ange Oby Kajuru/Anastasiya Komar (OSU) def. Liam Oved/Duru Söke (PEPP), 8-3
Consolation Doubles Match
Taylor Goetz/Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. Sally Pethybridge/Alaia Rubio Perez (PORT), 8-5
Singles Round of 16
Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. Imogen Haddad (USC), 7-5, 6-4
Liam Oved (PEPP) def. #106 Sofia Rojas (UGA), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3)
Singles Quarterfinals
#5 Ange Oby Kajuru (OSU) def. Vivian Yang (PEPP), 7-6 (4), 6-1
Consolation Singles Matches
Taylor Goetz (PEPP) def. Semra Aksu (VT), 6-2, 6-2
Duru Söke (PEPP) def. Gracie Epps (OSU), 6-4, 6-2
SATURDAY'S MATCHES
Consolation Doubles Semifinals
Taylor Goetz/Vivian Yang (PEPP) vs. Aya El Sayed/Mila Stanojevic (COLO), 9 a.m.
Consolation Singles Matches
Taylor Goetz (PEPP) vs. Elyse Tse (WSU), 11:30 a.m.
Duru Söke (PEPP) vs. #77 Valencia Xu (STAN), 11:30 a.m.
Vivian Yang (PEPP) vs. Mila Stanojevic (COLO), 1 p.m.
